Ikihsa Enb'Zik
Ikihsa Enb'Zik (16 BBY— ) is a Sullustan padawan within the Jedi Order. A former member of the Caspian and New Republic militaries, he retired from the latter faction's Starfighter Corps as a Brigadier General before serving a brief stint as a military subject matter expert to the New Republic Senate. In the destruction of the Republic Senate and Imperial reoccupation of Coruscant in 15 ABY, several members of the Sullustan delegation were killed. Enb'Zik was asked to represent Sullust directly as a Senator rather than an advisor. He honorably did so and was privileged to serve his homeworld for several months before an encounter on the edge of Imperial space left him with the ability to touch and wield the Force. Left with a decision to leave his new career or be faced with what he considered a terrible power capable of causing horrendous tragedies, Enb'Zik left the Senate to become a Jedi and learn to control his new abilities. Early Life Enb'Zik was born in the Sullustan resort city of Piringiisi in 16 BBY, four years after the rise of the Empire saw the end of the Old Republic. Though Sullust had been aligned with the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone War his mother and father, Kyun Frul and Ikihsa D'lis, had served together as diplomatic envoys to the Republic. Like some in their adversary's government, they viewed the war as a failure to communicate. When the war ended, having served her time as an active member of her community, Ikihsa D'lis turned to her next role in Sullustan society -- that of a Fem. She formed a traditional warren-clan with Kyun Frul and several other husbands. Enb'Zik was one of twelve children growing up in his household. Because cross-cultural understanding was important to his parents, stories of heroes and villains on both sides of the Clone War were popular in their home. As youngsters Enb'Zik and his siblings often played 'Skywalker and Kenobi' just as children had across the Republic less than a decade before. Enb'Zik matured with much of the idealism and sense of responsibility that had been exhibited and taught to him by his mother and father. He attended university on Sullust and acquired a degree in Galactic History. After Sullust joined officially with the Alliance to Restore the Republic after the Battle of Endor, Enb'Zik decided to add an internship in diplomacy to his still-progressing education. Sojourn in Caspia A bad taste of local, dirty politics led Enb'Zik to reconsider his career choice as a diplomat in 6 ABY. Favoring what he saw among the likes of Mon Mothma and Leia Organa, yet uncertain about a New Republic with the potential to become as corrupt as the old one, Enb'Zik made his way to Caspar. With the move to Caspia, Ikihsa left behind politics altogether and sought a new path. Under the tutelage of Elana Tracer, followed by Doron Rtufo, he became a pilot. During his tenure with the Marine Aerospace Division, he flew Z-100 Centurions first for the CMTOS-52 Stormcrows squadron, and later for the CMTOS-17 Nighthawks. Observing Zik's growth in skill and tactics, Rtufo would describe the Sullustan as the "shrewdest mouse we ever had." It was also during this time that Enb'Zik was introduced to the Horansi race. He first encountered the Mashi Jedi Sinjon Teague. Teague would eventually perform the ceremony in which Enb'Zik married the second Horansi he met, the tremendous Kasa warrior Snal'Fashtalli. A Return to the Republic Over the course of two years, Enb'Zik had grown to love the Caspian planets, people and culture. Their relaxed way of life and affinity for nature reminded him of Piringiisi in many ways. But Piringiisi reminded him of his parents, and thoughts of his parents brought to mind that while his new skills were protecting a wonderful society, he was doing nothing for his own people. Three years after joining Caspar, Ikihsa resigned his officer's commission. The sour taste of corruption left by a few bad politicians on Sullust had disappeared with sufficient time away. With new skills, a new wife, and a new perspective on the New Republic, Enb'Zik was ready to fight for the government he had doubted. The next years would be busy ones as Enb'Zik continued to develop, each event continuing to shape his personality. In that time period he flew for and commanded multiple squadrons. He participated in missions that destroyed a Death Star, ruined Imperial fighters and capital vessels, and saw his own ships shot down more than once. Then, in 11 ABY, Zik's Republic career ground to a pause. While pursuing a side passion of racing swoops on Selene under GSL amnesty, Enb'Zik was arrested by Imperial forces. Never participating in his own trial, indeed not knowing if one ever took place, he was sent to Kessel for an imprisonment that would last nearly three years. Early release had not been a part of his sentencing, but an old friend now in a high position - Johanna Siri te Danaan - arranged for his freedom. In late 13 ABY, the newly freed Sullustan returned to the Republic more determined than ever to see an end to the Empire. Emaciated, his hands forever scarred from manipulating strands of glitterstim, Ikihsa returned to service. He quickly gained a spot in Rogue Squadron. A year later, with the Republic reeling under the Imperial Blitzkrieg campaign, he was assigned by Chief of State Leia Organa Solo to create a new squadron that would recall the tactics that had been successfully employed during the rebellion era. The result of Enb'Zik's experiment was FST-01, the Firecats Squadron. Though the group was mothballed less than a year after it was conceived, the Firecats proved exceptionally successful. Their operations, combined with assistance from Ghost Squadron resulted in the destruction of the Orbital Station Guardian over O'paal, deep inside Imperial territory. Critically, the High Command of the Imperial war machine was destroyed with the station. At the same time, Firecats team members operating undercover on the station were able to steal an Imperial ship, HIMS Animosity, and pilot it away. Upon arriving in Republic space after the mission, the Animosity would receive a new designation reflecting the daring of the Firecats team that obtained it: NRCV Audacity. Major Changes Abound His military successes led Enb'Zik to achieve the rank of Brigadier General and earned him some of the New Republic's highest awards, including the Star of Alderaan, the Corellian Cross, and the New Republic Medal of Honor, among others. The climax of the Imperial Blitzkrieg might have seemed the moment in which Zik was needed in the military more than anywhere. Life, however, set into motion events that would take him away from the military altogether. In temporary limbo with no immediate assignment after the Firecats were disbanded, Enb'Zik took on a short-term job as a military subject matter expert for the Senate. Shortly thereafter, with hundreds of Senators' deaths during an Imperial attack on the Republic capital, he was asked by Sullust's surviving delegation to join them and help refill their ranks. Unable to be both a Senator and a General, Ikihsa again resigned an officer's commission. Now a Senator, life had brought him full circle from politician to pilot and back. The journey would not end there. Forced By his thirty-first year, Enb'Zik had become familiar with a number of Jedi. Though Sinjon Teague had passed out of his life, Enb'Zik had made friends of Leia Organa-Solo, as well as Luke Skywalker. Force abilities had become apparent in his long-time friend Johanna. Ikihsa had worked with Jedi Brandis Finian as the primary Medical Officer on the Firecats team, as well. Enb'Zik's experiences with the Jedi had been mixed. He had come to realize that most of them were as susceptible to failures as anyone, and that they were decidedly not the same valiant Knights and Masters and Generals he recalled from his parents' highlights of the Clone War. At different times, Brandis and Johanna both slid toward the Dark Side, and those failures had resulted in the former mentally attacking Enb'Zik's wife, while the latter had allowed the death of an entire planet's population by simply neglecting to do anything about it. In this way, he came to understand that Force wielders could be just as terrible and deadly as they could be benevolent and helpful. The Force was something he realized he was grateful not to touch. Irony and a trip to an unheard of planet on the galactic rim, just outside of the Imperial border would remove that inability. After a crash landing on Cophrigin 5, a mortally wounded Enb'Zik dragged himself into a bower occupied by the Force ghost of An'ya Kuro, a Jedi Master of the Old Republic. Through the will of the Force, the Dark Woman who had been slain there by Darth Vader was able to heal Ikihsa, but imbued him with a power he did not want. Upon being rescued by his wife and a redeemed Johanna, Enb'Zik returned to Ord Mantell where he decided his only hope of not making the same mistakes of the fallen was to learn control of his new abilities. Enb'Zik joined the Jedi Order under the tutelage of Skywalker, though he received training from Aurejin and Johanna, as well. His deepest fear continues to be that of failure, and of someday falling to the Dark Side to abuse his powers and be responsible for the deaths of innocents. Ikihsa Enb'Zik is developing as a close adherent of the Living Force. His strongest powers are those that center upon nature and ecology. His lightsaber hilt is primarily black. Its ribbed structure was forged from an alloy of Caspian olumic and another metal from a set of slave binders. Silver, organic curves interlock on its surface to symbolize the interconnectedness of living organisms throughout the galaxy. The hilt is tipped at one end with a rounded piece of polished, volcanic gabbro from Sullust, and at the other end, the emitter projects a dark, cobalt blue blade. Six Degrees of MUSHiness Snarl — Enb'Zik's beloved wife (Their players are married, too!) Lynae Cassius-Mahon — A former Imperial who became a good friend Adam Shadow — A friend and helpful contact among Caspar's finest Shael Winters — A young pup Zik met out on the swooping tracks Ai'kani Za'netra — Jedi Knight and Enb'Zik's sister in the Force Krieg Inrokana — Enemy in a fighter, opponent on a swoop, good friend of a good friend Enb'Zik's Timeline 32 BBY Episode I, Battle of Naboo 22 BBY Episode II, Battle of Geonosis, Clone Wars Begin 20 BBY Episode III, Great Jedi Purge, Palpatine Becomes Emperor ... 16 BBY Enb'Zik is born. ... 0 BBY Episode IV, Battle of Yavin, DS1 Destroyed, Enb'Zik 16 3 ABY Episode V, Battle of Hoth, Enb'Zik 19 4 ABY Episode VI, Battle of Endor, DS2 Destroyed, Enb'Zik 20 ... 6 ABY MUSH goes IC, Enb'Zik 22 8 ABY Enb'Zik joins the CDU Marines, Meets and Marries Snarl, Age 24 (Character Created) 9 ABY Enb'Zik joins NR Star Ops, Age 25 10 ABY Enb'Zik helps destroy the third Death Star, Age 26 11 ABY Enb'Zik imprisoned on Kessel, Age 27 13 ABY Enb'Zik returns to the Republic, Age 29 15 ABY Enb'Zik becomes a Jedi, Age 30 ... 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